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Battle Spirits Rebellion - Final Chapter
< Previous Chapter Within endless darkness, a single girl stands. Her consciousness wanes, her sanity ever wavering. Time and space have vanished, she is unaware of where she is, where she heads to, how she got here, how long she has been here. The dark void, the absolute nothingness of the limbo. Nevertheless, she moves forward, she has a reason to, her body would move as long as it holds energy. Searching for solace, she voices a quiet whisper. “Other me, are you there?” How many times has she called out to this day? How often did she get a reply? She didn’t keep count, but there is a large gap between the two numbers. “I’m right here. I’m glad you finally called, I wouldn’t find you otherwise.” The girl stops moving. She’s standing in front of herself. She’s here and there at the same time. It takes her a moment to process that the one in front of her is her other self, but even upon realizing that, she didn’t feel any less puzzled. “It must be weird for you, but we are in that sort of dimension.” “Huh?” “I can’t explain it in a way you’ll understand. While in this world, ‘me’ and ‘you’ are treated as different people, that’s all there is to it.” “Dimension? World? What happened to us, who transferred us here?” “Hm. Putting it bluntly, we’ve died, Nova.” “Oh.” Silence. What could one expect her to say upon hearing that. She lowers her head and tries to recover her most recent memories, to no avail. She won’t doubt her other self, but she’s getting more and more things to work on in her mind, which was already almost overloading. In the end, a single thought surfaced, and she quickly returned to herself. “Is Astra fine?!” Darkwurm smiles. ‘Of course that’s what you’d ask,’ she thinks. “Do you mind talking as we walk? We’re heading somewhere.” “Purgatory? The afterlife?” “I don’t know what those are, but that’s a good sign.” “Huh?” “Let us go.” Darkwurm holds Nova’s hand and the two walk ‘forward,’ heading towards a destination only Darkwurm can see, apparently. But her grip feels very secure of itself, Nova doesn’t hold a shred of doubt that this girl knows what she is doing. ‘You are me after all.’ “If I were to scroll back to where it might be blurry to you... We completed the biggest part of our mission, we defeated every Brave other than the Zodiacs. Well, counting Virgo and Capricorn which we got previously due to special circumstances, there were only ten left.” “I remember that much.” “I believe in order to deal with us... Or perhaps because of their fear, the remaining ten gathered. Their intention was most likely just to discuss something, but things got passionate and... they unified their wills. The siblings which constantly strifed for power finally obtained a mutual objective.” “That sounds powerful... No wonder we got killed, I guess.” “That isn’t the end of it. You should know better than anyone else, when a Brave unifies their will with something else, what happens?” “...Braving?” “Yes, the concept you brought into this world together with Astra. It ought to have been denied by providence, but you made it possible.” “But where are you heading? The Zodiacs braved to one another and became... Five?” “Close, they became one. But the creature they became was much too powerful and different in nature from a Brave to say it was a braved existence... Not to insult us, but their power far surpassed ours. Their unified will brought forth the advent of a god.” “...” “And it wasn’t that God either that killed us. The providence of this world was created by the 12 pillars of the Zodiac. This world wasn’t always like this, as Benkei told us. Their ‘hacking’ into the ‘system’ of the world made it into this world where Braves reigned. After we destroyed all the constellations and the remaining Zodiacs combined into a non-Brave being... That ‘system’ crumbled.” “Meaning?” “Braves ceased to exist altogether. That’s why we vanished.” “...Is that worse or better than dying?” “We’ll find out. If my plan goes through, better.” “Wait... Is this about that thing Mother said? We’re based on a dragon from another world, so our nature is different too! We can survive because of that?!” “Oh, that? That’s a lie.” “Huh?” “You asked me once, didn’t you? ‘What are we?’ and ‘Which of us is the real Darkwurm?’ if I’m not mistaken.” “I did,” ‘at least now I know she was listening to me,’ a complicated feeling to hold now of all times, she sighs internally. “Neither of us is Darkwurm. But I’m closer to being it. Honestly, I’m glad you’re such an idiot, otherwise you’d have gotten it.” “What do you mean? And I’m not an idiot!” “Nova, on your memories of being created, don’t you have fragments where your body is broken, an arm missing or something of the kind?” “Yeah, from when Mother tested us against those Braves she kept.” “Nova, is your body made of machinery or meat?” “I’m made of meat... Huh?!!” “Exactly.” “I... am an idiot... But what does that mean?” “Starting from the conclusion: It was impossible to create a Brave that could kill Braves. Even in my prototype state, it was easy to destroy another Brave. But after destroying the opponent, I’d become aware I was a Brave and start targeting myself. The broken parts of my body, the arms I lost, I was the one that damaged myself. And that’s where you came in.” “...” “Mother needed to install the Brave Killer on something that the system wouldn’t acknowledge as a Brave. She kidnapped a human and merged me with her, almost like a parasite.” “I’m... a human... But...” “You’re a human infinitely close to a Brave, and I was... am a Brave infinitely close to a human. It somehow worked out, and we even became able to Brave with someone else, that was outside of my expectations, to be honest.” “I’m a human... Not Mother’s daughter, or your sister...” “No, you certainly are my sister.” “But...” “Don’t you get it? I’m a paradoxical existence, a Brave Killer Brave. If it weren’t for you, I’d have destroyed myself years ago. I owe getting this far to you being there for me, if the love I feel for you is anything other than that of a sister, my whole existence is a lie.” “Darkwurm... I love you too.” “Thank you. I’m glad I could get that out before we part ways. This is as far as I can go, but someone else will guide you now. “What do y-” Before she can ask, Darkwurm vanishes completely. Not even dust, not even a cloud of fog, the darkness simply swallows her completely. And Nova’s hand, which was left alone, is almost instantly connected to another hand again. “You sure are looking somber there. Does seeing this face cheer you up?” “Benkei... Why are you here, you...” “Didn’t your other self tell you? I’m a Brave as well!” She laughs. “I didn’t know... But I also didn’t know I was human, so it’s a little... funny, maybe.” “Your other self told me, me and you are the same. I’m a human who became a Brave due to the legend surrounding my existence, and you had a similar story. But to think you’re almost on my level despite being under ten years old... I’m over a hundred and got this close to losing to you.” “Hey, I actually won once.” “I was playing around that one time, it doesn’t count.” “Don’t rewrite what’s not convenient for you.” “Shut up, I’ll let go of your hand.” “How childish!” The two giggle together. Within this darkness, having heard countless surprisingly negative news, Nova is still able to smile. That is Benkei’s true power, she thinks, this woman shines like the sun at all times. “Hey, Benkei. Tell me more about yourself.” “I was the leader of a mercenary group who never lost, but that legend was a little too weird for the new world, so it got turned into the ‘sword that never lost.’ My whole being was rewritten due to word of mouth, providence is truly scary.” “That’s not what I meant. Not your legend, your life until now, your friends from 100 years ago.” “...” Benkei remains quiet for a moment. ‘It’s that part of yours, Nova,’ she thinks to herself, and shrugs away a single tear that formed on her eye. “They were a bunch of idiots that had no talent other than surviving, to be honest. The cockroaches of society, if you will.” “How awful of you to say that.” “And I was their cockroach queen, the nastiest of them all, not even able to get myself a man...” “What decent man would want a woman who calls herself the cockroach queen.” “Shut up, brat. But if I were to say my dream was to marry and have my own family... I’d say I completed that twice. Once with all my dumbass cockroach kids... and again now, with my dragon little sister.” “...You too, huh? Darkwurm called me sister too... But maybe older sister? Since I’m apparently older than her.” “This was a family trip, pretty much. A trio of sisters going around messing up towns, destroying toys. Very pleasant.” “Changing the world order as a bonus.” “Oh, to me that’s just an average trip. I’ve done that twice or thrice already.” “Shut up. Hey...” She holds tight onto Benkei’s hand. She is still there, she still exists. “Do you think we’ll be able to do it again? Another family trip like this...” “I don’t even know what I’ll eat tomorrow morning, don’t ask me to know what we’ll be doing next week!” “...Thanks, Benkei.” “Thank you too, Nova. For giving me a family again. I’ll see you again, I swear.” “No, you’re not going to vanish too, are you?! Please don’t, Benkei!” “Ah, I almost forgot to tell you. I used that name to forget my past, my real name is Clarissa. Cute, right?” “It’s too feminine for you, get a more ogre-ish one next time! Idiot!” And Nova is left alone again, the darkness devours the existence that was Benkei as well. But this time, she doesn’t stop, proudly shedding her tears, she steps forward firmly. And a stairway shines in front of her, bright as a flame. By her side, an angelic machine, the holy virgin, Vielje. “Mother...” “Darkwurm told you the truth, and you still call me Mother... Thank you... I’m sorry... I’m so very sorry...” Vielje lowers her head, her face unable to shed the tears her heart cries. “We have to climb this up now, don’t we? Will you hold my hand too?” “If you allow me to, I... would love to.” “Let’s go,” daughter and mother hold hands, and climb the stairs that head towards yet another unknown destination. “You must have millions of questions, I will hide nothing more from you, please go ahead...” “Sorry, I was just so happy to hold your hand and walk like this that my mind went blank for a while. I guess... Uh, Darkwurm isn’t based on a dragon from another world, how did that work?” “That was a plan I devised and took many years to take form. If legends become power, is it possible to turn a fake legend into a true power? That was basically it.” “Explained very little.” “I told lies online and in real life until Darkwurm turned into the Brave Killer...” “Hey, so the memories I have of her resting while you’re on a computer...?” “I was probably telling lies online.” “...How uncool. I... you know, thought you were doing serious research to heighten the destructive power of your biological weapon...” “This wasn’t a world that needed that sort of seriousness... If I could get people to believe, if the rumor spread wide enough, it’d eventually work out. Even with little power, she just needed enough to destroy a weaker one, and everyone would start believing it...” “That’s why Reticulum was the first target...” “That and that guy was perverted. Increased eyesight is clearly the power of someone who doesn’t have pure thoughts.” “As expected of the Virgo Brave...” “That has nothing to do with this!” It has. “Next... Who was I? Before you kidnapped me.” “Haha, actually, that was... you know... While our world seemed prosperous, a secret war between the Zodiacs happened in the shadows. You were a victim of that war, I don’t know if you became an orphan or if you were abandoned by your parents... But you had no one to care for you. So I picked you up myself...” “And turned me into a weapon, are you really in a position to judge Reticulum?” “I didn’t pick you up meaning to do that! I really... thought it’d be cute to have a little daughter...” “I know. Now that you said that, I sort of remembered it.” “Really? Your parents’ faces came back to you?!” “Not at all. Just fragments of a destroyed abandoned home, and an angel coming pick me up. As far as it concerns me, you really are my Mother, I think.” “I’m... not worthy of such words. Once my plan proved to be about to fail, I hideously merged you with my creation and... if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have ended up here too.” “I don’t resent you, Mother. From one side it might have been a sin for you to do that, but... I went from being an orphan to having you, Darkwurm, Benk-, Clarissa, Astra... So I’m glad you saved and sacrificed me, even if vanishing is the end result.” “We can still save you, don’t worry. No, we will save you.” “What do you mean?” “You were taken along when Darkwurm was erased since you were two-in-one, but there’s still a chance you, the human, can return to the world. This is the unified will of three Braves, so we’ll definitely cause you to advent.” “...Are you people vanishing because... You’re turning your existences into...?” With a smile on her face, Virgo pushes Nova off the stairs. They had climbed quite a ways up, meaning her fall won’t be a meager one. The two lock eyes one last time, and Vielje disappears, turning into a stream of yellow light. From within Nova, two other streams, a purple and a red one burst forth, enveloping her like a hot blanket. “These are our final words, sister.” “Take them with you to another world, Nova.” “This the code to connect ‘here’ and ‘there,’ my dear daughter...” “I got it, you sappy idiots! I’ll definitely see you three over there! I swear! Gate Open! Release!” Visitant from another world, what is it that defines the worth of a life on your world? Does that question make any sense to you? If you don’t have an answer, then I guess we are the same. What do I live for, where am I heading to? There is no clear objective in front of me, so I live every day dragging as many things as possible at once, to distract myself from this shadow looming over me. One day, maybe, I will also find something that sets myself alight... “Hey, want to go on a date with me?” A co-worker asks me. Being honest, I’m not particularly interested, but I’m not disgusted either. This might be the chance to find ‘it.’ “Sure!” End my shift, go home, rest, wake up, go to work, repeat. At least going out with someone else will break this cycle for a while. Even if it’s terrible, it was still ‘different.’ Talking about such different things is also fun, I guess I’ll surprise her with this. “Hey, granny, can you believe? A guy at work asked me out!” “First of all, I’m barely ten years older than you, why do you call me Granny!” “One year older than me = old woman, five years older than me = almost over the due date, ten years older than me = granny.” “If you were forty I’d understand, but thinking that way when you’re just twenty is a little...” “That’s irrelevant though, what’s important is the date. What do you think?” “It’s probably a guy who’s never talked to you, just likes your pretty looks or something, right?” “...Now that you mention it, possibly... How did you know?” “Nobody that knows you would want to get involved with you.” “Hey, you’re pretty mean too.” “But does that mean you take offers easily?” “I’m not a cheap woman, but if it sounds fun, I...” “Then wanna go to the farm I grew up in some time soon? I thought about inviting you, but you’re a shut-in, so I thought you’d reject it.” “I’m not a shut-in! And I also don’t think I’m into women, especially grannies, so... eh...” “I’m not inviting you that way, you dumbass. If you want to bring a friend, feel free to.” “Do you have any other friends?” “Huh? Huh? No?” “I don’t have any either, you should know that, just as I knew you didn’t.” “...I’m already regretting inviting you, maybe I’ll cancel that.” “I didn’t even say I was going yet.” “...You’re not?” The older woman looks visibly upset. “I will, of course,” the young girl smiles, already looking forward to it. “Then I’ll give you the precise date later, Astra.” “Ok, see ya, Clarissa.” She waves and heads to her house. They aren’t neighbors per se, but Clarissa’s workplace is neighbor to Astra’s home, which means they see each other roughly every day. They always exchange this level of pleasantries to one another, their friendship is truly profound to the point they sound like enemies. The week goes by, and the day of my date comes. A true gentleman, he picks me up at home and drives us to a restaurant. We talk about work in ways we can’t while at the workplace, discuss the food and slightly dig into each other’s private lives, but I don’t feel a string of ‘fate’ on this encounter. I guess accepting something like this when I’m not into it is a bad move after all... “You’re bored, aren’t you?” “Yeah, I guess...” I was lost in thought, and replied to it without thinking. Once I realize I already said it, it’s too late to undo or phrase it better. “I figured, to be honest. Even at work, you always seem exhausted or uninterested... So I thought maybe I could do something to put a smile on your face.” “That sounds so creepy, but I appreciate it. A little,” now that I’ve already showed a bit of who I really am, might as well continue baring myself. “It does, doesn’t it? Haha, sorry for that. I’m glad you talked with your real voice though, even if just for a while.” “You can tell?” “I really am a creepy dude, ain’t I?” “Nobody is perfect, I’m glad we’re managing to drop our acts at least, you perv,” she almost smiled, her lips moved in a way that got to the limit of ‘smirking,’ but didn’t take the step into ‘smiling’ he wanted. A shameful loss at the eleventh hour, he can’t deny it. “Want to go straight home? Or is there somewhere else you’d like to go?” “I don’t know if you’re trying to imply something or not with that second question, but... Sorry, I’ll go home.” “I’ll at least give you a ride then.” “Despite getting rejected hard, still a gentleman... Moves me to tears, no joke.” “Don’t say ‘no joke’ when you’re clearly joking,” the two walk outside the building, and the weather has taken a turn for the worst possible. The sky is as dark as it can get, the wind blows at concerning speeds and large drops of rain hit the ground with full force. It’s no average rain, it’s an intense storm. “Hmm, it might be dangerous to drive like this. Maybe we should wait a little more. I’m sorry, the report didn’t say anything about... Are you listening?” She wasn’t. Under this awful weather, as the surrounding temperature dropped quickly... Something begins to burn within her. A pulsation takes over her entire body, a strong desire, an uncontrollable impulse. She’s glad she decided to go out in sneakers, because by the time she realizes it, she’s running with all her might. Her co-worker didn’t take a step into the rain to go after her, just tried calling her for a while, then let her go. She doesn’t know where she’s going, where this string which pulls her is taking her, but she can tell, she can feel it isn’t something average. Her entire being is screaming ‘the world is about to change, I’ve finally found what I was searching for.’ Her clothes drenched to no end, her hair glued to her face like a mask, her entire body sore from running beyond the limits of her stamina, she climbs a nameless, unimportant hill. It gives a sight over the city, but nothing else, there’s nothing of interest there for anyone, especially under a weather like this. Yet, she isn’t alone there. “We didn’t make a promise to meet here.” “There wasn’t even a way for us to, as this world is different from ours.” “I didn’t know you would be here.” “But you still came.” “I felt it.” “And so did I.” “It called out for me.” “And I could tell you heard it... As I heard yours too” Final Chapter – ""The Supernova in Your Soul"" “Nova...” “Astra...” “Welcome back.” “Now that I’m with you... I’m finally home. I’m finally... home.” The rain hasn’t stopped at all, but the two can tell the drops of rain apart from the teardrops. But soon enough they’re embraced, smiling and crying on one another, the world around them, the rain which falls on them doesn’t exist anymore. ““I’m so glad I met you.”” Epilogue: “Are you all set?” “Yeah, I’m not planning on taking lots of luggage. It is just a few days on a farm after all, what would I even want to bring with me.” “...Do you think I’m just going to ignore your luggage is a single girl.” “Not really, no.” “Nice to meet you, Clarissa. I’m Nova, Astra’s friend.” “Astra’s friend...? Were you hired to say that?” “I can see where you’re coming from, but no.” “Hey, I’m always nice to you!” “Please update your definition of ‘nice...’ The other Astra was way nicer...” “Don’t compare us!” “...Sounds like a complicated love triangle, two members have the same name. At least you won’t call the wrong one out in-” “Clarissa.” “We’re all adults here!” “Nova is a pure girl... Her mother is a virgin...” “Astra.” “I’m not lying!” “...We haven’t even taken off yet, and this is already a fun trip. I feel like I was looking forward to this. Nice to meet you, Nova.” “Same, Benkei.” “It’s Clarissa.” “That’s what I said, Clarissa.” “Where did you find her, by the way? Such a cute pokemon.” “I’ll tell you on the way. Let’s get going, otherwise we might just never do it.” “Aye aye, Captain!” Category:Fanfiction Category:Completed Category:Battle Spirits Rebellion